1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game which involves determining the elapsed time between a starting event and an ending event. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a game where the starting event involves the pivoting of a horizontal wand or lever mounted on a turnstile such that the movement of the lever initiates a timer.
2. The Prior Art
In Lowrance U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,117, issued May 21, 1991 and entitled "Combined Racing Kite Gate and Quick Draw Device" there is disclosed a game apparatus wherein a vertical wand or lever is contacted by a moving kite string to pivot the wand and turn a cam; the rotation of the cam actuates an electronic switch which initiates the actuation of a timer; later, when the wand is again pivoted by the kite string in the same rotary direction, the microswitch will be again actuated to stop the timer. Between the first pivoting of the wand and the last pivoting of the wand which serve to start and stop the timer, respectively, the person who is operating the kite may perform, or be required to perform, intermediate operations with the kite; however, the total elapsed time between the first and second pivoting of the wand, in the same rotational direction, will indicate the total elapsed time for the operator of the kite to complete all of the required operations with the kite.
In Lowrance U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,837, issued Nov. 26, 1991 and entitled "Combined Racing Kite Gate and Quick Draw Device", there is disclosed a quick draw mechanism wherein a target is mounted on an end of a vertical wand or lever similar to the wand described above in reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,117. When a missile, such as an arrow, bullet or baseball, hits the target in a given direction, the wand will pivot so as to rotate a cam and actuate a microswitch to start a timer. The shooter or thrower may attempt to operate a number of intermediate targets, after which he will again actuate the primary target on the wand so as to actuate the microswitch a second time to stop the timer.
Lowrance U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,461, issued Mar. 10, 1992 and entitled "Fishing Game Apparatus" discloses a vertical wand or lever which rotates a cam to operate a microswitch. A plurality of fish are mounted on a horizontal support. Two of the fish are connected by releasable lines to the lever. The game is commenced when the fisherman hooks one of the two target fishes and pulls it from the horizontal array, thereby actuating the microswitch to start the timer. The fisherman will then proceed to pull all of the intermediate fish from the horizontal array until only the second target fish remains. When the fisherman snares the second target fish, the cam will rotate against the microswitch to actuate it for a second time to stop the timer.
In the present invention the wand or lever is disposed for movement in a horizontal plane such as a turnstile. The wand or lever, however, is actuated by an object pivoting and/or passing through and beyond the wand, as in passing through a turnstile. The latter action starts the timer.